Sunshine and Pine (A Sequel to Everything to me)

Battles and Bonds

My jaw is clamped tightly together. The sound of Bella's screams echo through the house. I don't know what's going on in that room, but it sounds like a bad episode of Grey's Anatomy. Only there's one or two more vampires performing surgery than normal. I'm stationed in the hallway just outside Bella's room. Jacob had told me that I'm to stay inside and guard Bella and the baby. I guess he decided I wouldn't be able to fight my imprint. He might have been right, but when I pointed out that they probably couldn't hurt me either because of Paul, he threw me his best I'm the alpha now glare and firmly closed the discussion on that.

So instead of standing next to my cousins, I'm playing guard dog inside a vampire's home. I know in my mind that the Cullens aren't a threat to me. But being so immersed in the stench of vampire has my skin crawling, and my senses are on high alert for any sign of a threat.

There's a loud ripping and screeching sort of sound, followed by silence, and then a baby's cry.

I hear Edwards soft voice whispering sweetly, and I know it must not be the monster everyone feared.

The cries turn to happy coos and the sound softens me a bit.

But it's quickly followed by a dull thudding that could only be someone trying to coax Bella's heart back into rhythm. She didn't make it...

After a few moments of muffled words, Rosalie slips past me into the room and back out just as quickly with the baby wrapped in a blanket. Jacob storms out. I know by the look on his face that my guarding duties have just shifted to just the baby. I follow Rosalie up the stairs, deeper into the cloud of vampire stink.

I can hear wolves growling through the walls. That familiar pull is trying to yank me down the stairs and out the door so I know Paul is here. Knowing he may be in danger has morphed the string that usually keeps us tethered, into a maxed out bungee cord and it takes every bit of my willpower to keep my feet planted. I focus on Rosalie's whispered words, desperate for any sort of grounding. It's kind of beautiful to watch. I'd always found Rosalie's beauty so off putting. It felt dangerous, like the trap that nature intended it to be. But watching her stare down at her niece, changed her face in beautiful maternal ways. Love was radiating from every part of her.

"You would have made an amazing mother." I don't know what made me say it. But Rosalie's head snaps up to me, and it almost looks like she'd cry if she could.

She gives me a soft smile before looking back down at the bundle in her lap.

"Thank you for protecting her."

"I knew she wasn't going to come out a monster. And I couldn't live with myself if I'd been a part of destroying something so innocent."

The sounds of battle break into our moment of peace. And my eyes cinch shut.

But then there's footsteps coming up the stairs, and my body jolts into full attention.

I recognize the scent as Jacob, but the anger rolling off of him is almost crackling through the air. Shit.

When he rounds the corner, his eyes lock straight onto the bundle in Rosalie's lap. The promise of death shrouds his eyes. Is it even possible to fight your own alpha?

"Jacob, what are you doing?"

"Ending this." His voice is so full of hate, it makes my hair stand on end.

"So you're just going to slaughter a baby, you psychopath! Are you insane?" I yell at him.

He pays me no mind as he keeps advancing. Rosalie shifts to shield the baby, letting us see her face for the first time. Jacob's body goes stark still. His eyes are locked with the baby's, and he looks like he's in some sort of trance...

Well damn.

She lets out a baby fever inducing coo, and Jacob is dropping to his knees.

"Jacob?" I whisper, taking slow steps towards him. I rest my hand on his shoulder and he slowly lifts his head to look at me. His eyes are shining with unshed tears. Like he can't seem to help himself, his gaze flickers back to the baby and I let my gaze follow. She's undeniably beautiful. Any unease I had about her being half vampire, vanishes when I see the way Jacob is staring at her like she hung the sun and stars. Rosalie's face is twisted in confusion. She probably didn't know this could happen this way. I've seen it with Quil and Claire, but I guess she's only seen couples.

"Jacob imprinted." I whisper in explanation. Her eyes snap up to meet mine, her confusion doubled and I know the question she's holding back. "Imprinting doesn't mean romance. It can. But it's just a bond. The world's strongest, supernatural bond. That little girl will forever be taken care of. Their relationship will likely evolve over time. But for right now, Jacob will be the best big brother there ever was to little..." I just realized that I don't even know the baby's name.

"... Renesmee." Jake says adoringly. My eyebrows fly up at the name.

"Renesmee? Where the heck did Bella come up wi-" A snarl rips through the walls, snapping us back to the present situation.

Jacob and I turn in unison to sprint outside and stop this. He's quicker than me and by the time I'm bursting through the door, he's already shifted, snapping at Sam's black wolf form.

"STOP!" I yell. But Sam lunges, snapping at Jake. "Jacob imprinted!" That gets everyone's attention.

Edward's sifting through my mind. I know I can't actually, that it's all in my head, but I feel like I can sense the intrusion. Like he's rifling through drawers and pulling stuff out that he's not supposed to touch.

"Jacob imprinted... They can't hurt her. It's their most absolute law."

Sam's heavy paw drags through the dirt. He doesn't want to retreat. But he has no choice. They can't hurt Renesmee. Because of Jacob.

I can't help myself anymore, and I let my eyes flick over to Paul. Even his wolf form looks physically changed. His fur seems dulled somehow. But something lighter flashes in his eyes at my gaze. Before I know it, my feet are stepping towards him, but then Sam lets out a growl that even in my human form is unmistakably an alpha order. And before I get the chance to reach out to Paul, the pack is all retreating back into the shadows of the forest.

And I'm left staring into the dark, outstretched hand trying to catch my very soul as it stretches away from me once again.